A small town, a new arrival, and a love that is as undeniable as it is unlawful... Victoria, Australia, 1891 Anglican priest Matthew Ottenshaw receives his first posting in tiny Dinbratten, two days' ride from his Melbourne home. Determined to honour his calling as best he can, he throws himself into the footy mad, two-pub town, navigating the dusty streets, learning the gossip, and striking up a friendship with Jonah Parks, the resident police sergeant and local bona fide hero. A police officer and a priest often find themselves needed at the same place, and Jonah and Matthew's friendship deepens quickly, as they set about their business of protecting the bodies and souls of Dinbratten's residents. When a bushfire threatens the town, and Matthew's inexperience with fire endangers the church buildings, Jonah comes to the rescue, and a reckless kiss in the midst of the chaos takes their friendship to forbidden. Neither Matthew nor Jonah can go back to the way things were before, but continuing their relationship puts everything at risk: their jobs, their friends, even their lives. In the outback town of Dinbratten where everyone knows everything about everyone else, how can they ever expect to keep a secret this explosive?

About the Author

Welton B. Marsland grew up in a township even smaller than the one in this book. With a background in hospitals, WBM has also spent three years covering the Melbourne International Comedy Festival as a reviewer, has had a story displayed at the National Gallery of Victoria, and even been banned in the state of Queensland. A queer-punk history geek who flits between nature walks, dinky bars, footy matches and live music gigs, WBM lives in the great city of Melbourne with an ex-Army sword-slinger and three idiosyncratic cats.